As stated by IAGTO’s founder and chief executive, Peter Walton, "IAGTO strives to
provide information and create opportunities that help its members develop
their business faster, with less effort and less cost. In addition to organising
fam trips, press trips, workshops, destination conventions and events, our staff
around the world are constantly developing new services for our members to
take advantage of and we pride ourselves on being at the heart of the golf tourism
industry”.

Whilst its primary goal has always been to develop services and activities to directly
benefit its growing membership, IAGTO now has a much broader remit to maintain and
raise standards throughout the industry and to help destinations position
themselves not only to attract more business but to deliver the best possible experience
to the visiting golf traveller.

Over the past decade IAGTO has produced the Golf Tourism Strategies for more
than 30 countries and regions and provides consultation and advice to many more
on a continual basis. IAGTO also carries out Golf Tourism Audits to assess
the strengths and weaknesses of golf courses striving to attract more visitors and
has developed the GolfTravellerSURVEY software package for golf
clubs to enable them to record accurately the demographics of their golf visitors.

In its first year, IAGTO established the International Golf Travel Market
(IGTM) which has become the industry's annual trade show, now owned and operated
by Reed Exhibition Companies, the world leader in travel and golf exhibitions. IGTM
attracts over 1500 delegates every year from some 65 countries and remains the most
important annual business event for the majority of our members.

In both North America and Asia, IAGTO also runs an annual Convention,
bringing buyers and suppliers together in equal numbers to meet and talk business
on a regional level. In addition to regular Destination Conventions, IAGTO takes over
500 operators and media on fam and press trips to golf destinations across the globe every year.

In 2000, IAGTO established the International Golf Travel Writers Association
(IGTWA) to recognize and support quality journalists from around the world who enhance
the industry through their high quality reporting of golf destinations in print,
online and television media.

In order to reward the outstanding achievements of many undiscovered, emerging and
established golf destinations along with individual golf resorts, IAGTO celebrates
the end of each year with its own Golf Travel Awards Ceremony & Gala Dinner.
The success of the golf travel industry will forever be dependent on the overall
popularity of the game, and for this reason IAGTO also presents an Honorary Award
each year. Recipients to date include Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros,
Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones Jr., Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, Annika Sorenstam,
Jose Maria Olazabal, Nick Price, Colin Montgomerie, Sam Torrance, Tony Jacklin,
Ernie Els and Costantino Rocca.

IAGTO’s global head office is based in London, England, and it also has representatives
in the USA & Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Australia & New Zealand, South Africa,
France, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Italy and Turkey.